Is there a relationship between bike path access and cyclist injuries?
I was originally inspired by this CityLab article detailing the then-impending transportation crisis due to the L Line shutdown. Specifically, I was interested in observing whether the shutdown contributed to an increase in cyclist injuries due to motor vehicle collisions as about 275,000 L Line riders would have sought alternatives. The MTA averted the shutdown at the 11th hour, leading me to a new research question.
NYC has seen an exponential increase in bicycle usage in the last 20 years. It reports up to 76% fewer injuries or deaths per 10 million miles biked since 2000, a measure of bike safety that controls for increased usage. There is concurrent evidence that access to public transit is disparate throughout the city. I was unable to find reliable sources on equitable bike lane access.
I hypothesize there are neighborhoods with outsized shares of cyclist injuries which can be predicted by lack of access to (protected) bike lanes, lack of access to public transit, and faster street traffic. I hope to inform a discussion around resource allocation to low-income neighborhoods where preventable injury and death hamper cyclist transportation.